Blind



Dec. 1961 R. s. REMBERT 3,014,524

BLIND Filed Feb. 12, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /T L\ 71- 7. & 24 .29 I 25 INVENTOR.

RS/PEMEE/PT' 1961 R. s. REMBERT 3,014,524

BLIND Filed Feb. 12, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

IRQPEMBE/PT United States Patent Office Patented Dec. 26, 1961 3,014,524 BLIND Russell S. Rembert, 5028 Lilac Lane, Dallas 9, Tex. Filed Feb. 12, 1960, Ser. No. 8,286 Claims. (Cl. 160-166) This invention relates to a novel construction of blind or screen similar to a conventional Venetian blind in that it includes a plurality of substantially parallel slats which may be swung about their longitudinal axes be tween open and closed positions, but differing from conventional Venetian blinds in that the slats are elastic and flexible so that the slats cannot be bent, deformed or otherwise damaged, as frequently occurs with conventional wooden and metal Venetian blind slats.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blind construction wherein the individual slats-are extremely thin and no tapes or other obstructions to vision extend across the slats, so that when the slats are in open positions, parallel to one another, they will afford a minimum obstruction to vision and to the and air therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blind wherein the slats are disposed under tension and stretched to prevent sagging thereof and wherein the extent of stretching of the slats may be varied for varying the over-all length of the blind to accommodate it to openings of different sizes.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a blind which is so constructed that the slats thereof may extend horizontally, vertically or at any desired incline, most convenient for use, and wherein the plane of the blind, in its entirety, may be disposed horizontally as well as vertically or at an incline.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a blind of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured, yet which will be extremely efficient and durable.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view looking toward one side of the blind and showing the slats in an open position;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View of the blind;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentaryend elevational view looking from left to right of FIGURES 1' and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a blank constituting a part of the blind;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of another blank, constituting a part of the blind;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the blind, showing the slats in a closed position;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately along a plane as indicated by the line 9--9 of FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevational view showing a portion of the blind in a partially closed position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the blind or screen in its entirety is designated generally 12 and comprises corresponding end portions 13 and 14 and a plurality of corresponding slats 15 which extend between passage of light 2 and are connected at their ends to parts of the end portions 13 and 14.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, the blind 12 is preferably formed in part of two thin sheets or films 16 and 17 of rubber or plastic, such as silicone rubber, having a high degree of tensile strength and which sheets or films are bonded together in abutting engagement with one another in any conventional manner. The individual sheets or films are each preferably of a thickness approximately .002 of an inch. The two sheets or films, after being joined together, are cut out as by a stamping operation to provide elongated notches 18 in opposite edges thereof and elongated openings 19 between said notches and disposed in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to one another and to the notches to form strips therebetween constituting the slats 15. The corresponding uncut end portions 20 of the two-ply sheet of the blank, which are formed integral with the ends of the slats 15, constitute parts of the end portions 13 and 14 of the blind 12. The end portions 20 are preferably reinforced and strengthened by thin films 21 of semicured tough rubber which are bonded to opposite sides thereof, as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7. Thereafter, the entire cut blank is preferably placed in a corrugated mold, not shown, or the four-ply end portions 20 only thereof may be placed in corrugated molds for molding the four-ply end portions 20, 21 into a zigzag configuration, as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7, and with the slats 15 disposed parallel to one another. The four-ply end portions 20, 21 will each then consist of alternate staggered portions 22 and alternate substantially parallel portions 23. As seen in FIGURE 6, the slats 15 merge integrally with said portions 23, and in the open position of the slats, the portions 22 are disposed at right angles to the portions 23 and to the slats 15. Each connecting strip 20, 21 is interposed between two substantially rigid control bars 24 and 25 and the exterior faces of the portions 22 are secured or bonded in any suitable manner to the adjacent faces of the bars 24 and 25, as by a film or coating of a rubber adhesive 26, as indicated in FIGURE 7. The control bars 24 and 25 are preferably formed of a lightweight metal such as aluminum.

Each flexible connecting strip 20, 21 combines with the two control bars 24 and 25, between which it is secured, to form one of the end portions 13 or 14. The control bars 24, 25 of the two end portions 13 and 14 may be connected to any suitable supports, not shown, which will at least permit movement of a corresponding one of the control bars of each end portion in a direction lengthwise thereof, and so that the slats 15 will be disposed to span an opening, not shown, to be covered by the blind 12 and with the slats 15 stretched and under tension.

The corners 27 of the connecting strips 20, 21 are capable of bending or flexing readily so that the portions 23 can swing relative to the portions 22 through arcs of nearly 180, or nearly in either direction from the positions of the portions 23 relative to the portions 22, as illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7.

With the control bars 24 and 25 of both end portions 13 and 14 disposed as best illustrated in FIGURE 3, the slats 15 will be disposed in open positions as seen in FIGURE 1. By moving the two bars 25, relativeto the bars 24, in the direction as indicated by the arrow 28 in FIGURE 3, or by moving the bars 24 in the direction as indicated by the arrow 29, or by moving the bars 25 and 24 in opposite directions relative to one another and as indicated by the arrows 28 and 29, the blind 12 will assume a closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 8 with the slats 15 in partial overlapping relation to one another. FIGURE 10 shows the end portion 14 as it will appear with the slats partially closed. Individual plies of the connecting strip 20, 21 have not been illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 10, for the sake of clarity.

The film or sheet 16 is preferably white while the film 17 may be black, as shown in FIGURE 5, or of any other desired color. The blind 12 will norm-ally be closed with the white sides of the slats facing outwardly to reflect light and heat and with the black or dark sides thereof facing inwardly.

It will be readily apparent that the extent that the slats 15 are stretched can be varied to vary the overall length of the blind between the end portions 13 and 14 thereof to accommodate the blind to openings of different sizes and to insure that the slats 15 will be stretched sufiiciently to prevent sagging. It will be readily apparent that the blind 12 can be erected with the slats extending either horizontally or vertically or at any angle and with the plane of the blind either horizontal, vertical or at any desired incline. While the portions 13 and 14 are referred to as end portions the blind may be longer between the two outermost slats 15 than between the portions 13 and 14. The blind 12 may obviously be made in various sizes and the slats 15 in addition to being extremely thin may also be made very narrow so as to be nearly invisible when viewed from any distance and so as to offer substantially no obstruction to the passage of light and air, when the blind 12 is in an open position. Obviously when the slats are made narrower than illustrated, the widths of the openlugs 19 will likewise be reduced so that the openings 19 will still be slightly narrower than the slats 15. Likewise, the slats 15 may each be of a single ply and the reinforcing films 21 of the connecting strips may be omitted. Further, other means than said connecting strips, as illustrated, may be employed for attaching the slats to the control bars 24 and 25 so long as the slat ends are connected by hinge connections to both control bars of both end portions 13 and 14 to enable the slats to swing in either direction from positions between and approximately at right angles to the control bars to positions nearly parallel to the control bars. However, the connecting strips 20, 21, as illustrated, assist in holding the control bars 24 and 25 properly separated from one another when the slats 15 are in open positions to maintain the slats 15 properly extended crosswise thereof, although other means may be utilized for this purpose.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A blind comprising corresponding end portions each including a pair of substantially rigid control bars and a flexible connecting strip interposed between the control bars having longitudinally spaced portions alternately secured to adjacent faces of the two control bars and alternate connecting portions interposed between said secured portions and providing foldable connections between said control bars, means retaining said end portions in spaced apart relation to one another, a plurality of flexible slats extending between and held extended by connection to said end portions, each of said slats having ends connected to complementary connecting portions of the two connecting strips for movement of the slats in unison with said connecting portions in response to simultaneous movement of one or both control bars of the two end portions, said control bars being movable lengthwise of said end portions for movement of the connecting portions and slats angularly about axes disposed parallel to the longitudinal axes of the slats.

2. A blind as in claim 1, said slats being formed of a longitudinally stretchable elastic material supported under tension between said end portions.

3. A blind as in claim 1, said slats being formed of a longitudinally stretchable elastic material supported under tension between said end portions, said slats and connecting strips being formed integral with one another.

4. A blind as in claim 3, said slats being of laminated construction, and said connecting strips comprising a plurality of lminations and being thicker than the slats.

5. A blind comprising corresponding end portions each including a pair of substantially rigid control bars, means retaining said end portions in spaced apart relation to one another, a plurality of corresponding elastic and flexible slats extending between said end portions and supported thereby under tension, and means forming hinge joints connecting the edges of the slat ends between the two adjacent sides of said control bars whereby, when the slats are disposed substantially parallel to one another, the control bars are disposed at approximately right angles to the planes of the slats, corresponding control bars of said end portions being simultaneously movable in the same direction and crosswise of said slats for swinging the slats in unison about axes disposed parallel to the axes of the slats in either direction for moving the slats to and from open positions, in which the slats are disposed in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to one another, and to and from closed positions in which the slats are disposed in partially overlapping relation to one another, said means forming hinge joints and the slats combining to connect the control bars of each end portion to one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,201,356 Terrell May 21, 1940 2,288,260 Touchstone June 30, 1942 2,548,512 Bergstrom Apr. 10, 1951 2,689,387 Carr Sept. 21, 1954 

